Andre Weissman may have broken DOJ rules in meeting with reporters about Manafort

A senior Justice Department prosecutor in Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel office held a meeting with Associated Press journalists last spring to discuss an investigation into Paul Manafort’s financial record, a day before the wire service published a major expose disclosing alleged money laundering made by the former and now embattled Trump campaign chairman.

Federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, now a senior attorney in the special counsel’s office, met with AP journalists on April 11 after reporters informed him of their own investigation into Manafort’s dealings with Ukrainian officials. The reporters had reached out to Weissman on a different story earlier in the year and it was during that conversation, that the AP team told Weissmann of their investigation into Manafort, stated the sources. The AP published the explosive expose on April 12, a day after their meeting with Weissmann.

It looks like weissman had a meeting about the ongoing investigation with reporters. Weissman is a member of Muellers team and was a memenr of the DOJ at the time.

The problem with this meeting is that it violates DOJ rules, and even FBI members were angry as they thought this would jeopardize the investigation.

However, the Justice Department and FBI have specific guidelines that must be followed when obtaining documents or information from the media, according to the DOJ website.

“Members of the Department may not employ the use of the investigative tool at issue until the Criminal Division has responded in writing,” the guideline states. “Accordingly, to ensure appropriate consideration, members of the Department should submit requests for authorization or consultation pursuant to this policy at least 30 days before the anticipated use of the covered law enforcement tool.”

...

And Weissmann’s role in arranging the meeting did not go over well with FBI officials, who issued a complaint to the Justice Department suggesting Weissmann didn’t follow normal procedures for dealing with journalists. The FBI was concerned the meeting with the journalists could harm the ongoing probe into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election, according to sources with knowledge of the information.

Now even if manafort is guilty of things, which I believe he is, he may be able to use this illegal activity by DOJ members to get out of the charges.


More rule breaking, more bias shown from the people investigating Trump.

a reply to: Grambler


I wonder if this potentially illegal meeting is mentioned in the lawsuit that Manafort's attorneys filed against Robert Mueller 2 weeks ago?

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Grambler


I wonder if this potentially illegal meeting is mentioned in the lawsuit that Manafort's attorneys filed against Robert Mueller 2 weeks ago?

If not I am sure it will be added.

a reply to: Grambler

Why are so many people surrounding Mueller so reluctant to follow proper protocol? I'm sensing a pattern here. Is it hubris because they still think they are untouchable or are they just plain stupid.

originally posted by: Perfectenemy
a reply to: Grambler

Why are so many people surrounding Mueller so reluctant to follow proper protocol? I'm sensing a pattern here. Is it hubris because they still think they are untouchable or are they just plain stupid.

Maybe because they arent interested in justice or solving crimes; maybe they are interested in a personal agenda.

originally posted by: Grambler

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Grambler


I wonder if this potentially illegal meeting is mentioned in the lawsuit that Manafort's attorneys filed against Robert Mueller 2 weeks ago?

If not I am sure it will be added.

The more pressure applied, the more determined Mueller will be to get the President. He wants to have a big bust in the Prosecutors Hall of Fame.

originally posted by: Grambler

A senior Justice Department prosecutor in Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel office held a meeting with Associated Press journalists last spring to discuss an investigation into Paul Manafort’s financial record, a day before the wire service published a major expose disclosing alleged money laundering made by the former and now embattled Trump campaign chairman.

Federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, now a senior attorney in the special counsel’s office, met with AP journalists on April 11 after reporters informed him of their own investigation into Manafort’s dealings with Ukrainian officials. The reporters had reached out to Weissman on a different story earlier in the year and it was during that conversation, that the AP team told Weissmann of their investigation into Manafort, stated the sources. The AP published the explosive expose on April 12, a day after their meeting with Weissmann.

It looks like weissman had a meeting about the ongoing investigation with reporters. Weissman is a member of Muellers team and was a memenr of the DOJ at the time.

The problem with this meeting is that it violates DOJ rules, and even FBI members were angry as they thought this would jeopardize the investigation.

However, the Justice Department and FBI have specific guidelines that must be followed when obtaining documents or information from the media, according to the DOJ website.

“Members of the Department may not employ the use of the investigative tool at issue until the Criminal Division has responded in writing,” the guideline states. “Accordingly, to ensure appropriate consideration, members of the Department should submit requests for authorization or consultation pursuant to this policy at least 30 days before the anticipated use of the covered law enforcement tool.”

...

And Weissmann’s role in arranging the meeting did not go over well with FBI officials, who issued a complaint to the Justice Department suggesting Weissmann didn’t follow normal procedures for dealing with journalists. The FBI was concerned the meeting with the journalists could harm the ongoing probe into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election, according to sources with knowledge of the information.

Now even if manafort is guilty of things, which I believe he is, he may be able to use this illegal activity by DOJ members to get out of the charges.


More rule breaking, more bias shown from the people investigating Trump.

Personally I feel all these things that have been coming out in regards to Muellers team wreak of desperation to get anything on Trump.

originally posted by: Grambler

originally posted by: Perfectenemy
a reply to: Grambler

Why are so many people surrounding Mueller so reluctant to follow proper protocol? I'm sensing a pattern here. Is it hubris because they still think they are untouchable or are they just plain stupid.

Maybe because they arent interested in justice or solving crimes; maybe they are interested in a personal agenda.

Yeah but would these people not be more smart about it? This meeting sounds like a mistake a rookie would make. I mean we all heard stories about the nasty side of the world but in hindsight some of these powerful people seem very dumb.

so much rule breaking and law breaking went on in the last 8 years that it would take the DOJ 20 years of investigating and prosecuting to even scratch the surface of all the corruption.
There isn`t enough manpower or shovels to even make a dent in this dung heap of corruption.The best that we can hope for is that the DOj scoops out the biggest turds and hope that the rest of dung pile bio degrades quickly.